Price: £1725

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

Dusk and dawn photography in some of the most iconic locations in the Hebrides

Tutorials and critique sessions with individual feedback on each participants work

Workshop restricted to nine clients plus Colin and assistant

GRADING: MODERATE

Easy straightforward hiking generally over good trails with no major ascents. The days are fairly leisurely and we spend about 5-6 hours outdoors. Terrain is mainly on paths or hill trails which may be muddy underfoot in places. Daily walks are mainly glens or coastal hikes with some ascents.

ACCOMMODATION & FOOD

Situated in Tarbert, the Harris Hotel is the ideal base from which to make day tours of Harris and Lewis and offers traditional island hospitality, excellent food and a relaxing atmosphere. Recently modernised, the rooms are well appointed and the restaurant offer a good selection of wines.

TRIP DETAILS

Stretching away for endless leagues, Harris is home to the tireless spirit of the Atlantic. The light, endlessly changing, can plunge a landscape into deep shadow and as quickly transform it into one of luminance in colours that range from turquoise, opal, cobalt blue to amethystine. When I once remarked on this to a local, he replied ‘Aye son, it’s where God washed out his paintbrush.’

Our base at Harris Hotel in Tarbet is ideally situated for easy access to the white sandy beaches and headlands of Harris and Lewis. Throughout the workshop there will be opportunities to shoot at dusk and dawn with sunset offering the greatest opportunities. Tutorials, individual feedback and a group critique are all included in the itinerary.

TRIP ITINERARY

Below is a typical itinerary, which inevitably will change to take advantage of the optimum weather conditions each day. An up to date forecast will be studied and the most suitable location chosen for that day.

Day 1 – Pickup and Tarbet

Colin will meet you underneath the main display board in the arrival hall at Inverness Railway Station at 8.00 a.m. on Saturday morning. Inverness is a small station so it will be easy to identify Colin. On the final day of the workshop we will return you to Inverness Railway Station at 6.00 p.m.
After the group has met, we will drive to Ullapool and board the ferry to Stornoway departing at 10.30 a.m. which arrives at 13.00 p.m. We will then continue onto the Harris Hotel in Tarbet and after checking in we will head out onto location.

Day 2 – Losgaintir and Traigh Rosamol

Day 3 – Traigh Scarasta and Scalpay

Exposed to the wild and windy plains of the Atlantic, Traigh Scarasta is renowned for big swells that manifest themselves in huge waves which break on the white sands. Further south, the island of Scalpay is connected to Harris by a causeway which gives us access to the Heritage Trail.

Day 4 – Huishnish and Loch Cravadale

The journey west past Amhuinnsuidhe Castle takes us to the road end. From here we will follow a cliff path over to the remote beach of Traigh Mheilein and the Sound of Scarp. To the east, Loch Cravadale is set against a mountainous backdrop where golden eagles can be seen.

Day 5 – Callanish and Traigh Dhail Mhor, Lewis

Dating back to around 3000bc, the Callanish Stones are part of a megalithic complex that were associated with celestial observations and lunar cycles. There are 13 primary stones which form a circle with an additional monolith at the centre. Facing north-west, Traigh Dhail Mor is a secluded beach backed by dunes and exposed to Atlantic swells.

Day 6 – Mangersta and Traigh Nisabost

Cut from Lewisian gneiss, the cliffs and sea stacks of Mangersta have created one of the most spectacular stretches of coastline in Lewis. Overlooking the Sound of Taransay, Traigh Nisabost is often seen in a palette of soft muted colours, whilst under clear skies as a landscape of stark contrasts.

GETTING THERE

This trip starts and finishes in Inverness. For train time-tables, costs and reservations follow these links:

MEETING INSTRUCTIONS

Colin will meet you underneath the main display board in the arrivals hall at Inverness Railway Station at 8.00 a.m. on Saturday.

At the end of the workshop on Friday, we will return you to Inverness Railway Station at 6.00 p.m.

TRIP PRICING

The trip price is £1725 per person. Group size is limited to 7 clients and this ensures that Colin can give a one-to-one tuition and a critique sessions.

THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:

Transport to and from the workshop start/end points

Travel insurance and personal equipment

Meals not mentioned in the itinerary

Alcohol and soft drinks, laundry

Gratuities

Any other items not mentioned as included

RECOMMENDED PERSONAL EQUIPMENT

The ability to respond to Scotland’s changeable weather with appropriate clothing will enhance your enjoyment. The key is to bring comfortable clothing, which will maintain your body temperature under a variety of weather conditions.

If you are at all susceptible to the cold, a down jacket or windproof fleece is the most effective way to keep warm and can quickly change your mental outlook.

Lightweight boots

Waterproof jacket and trousers

Hat for sun protection or warmth

Casual clothes for evening wear

Personal wash kit

Head torch

Optional: sunglasses, sunscreen, and lip salve

PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT

Carrying equipment for every eventuality is also counter-intuitive and you should avoid your experience outdoors being overshadowed by the weight of your bag – at the end of the day you are here to enjoy and not endure.

Cameras – Camera equipment is very much a personal choice and is dependant on individual preference, budget and experience. Whetheryou shoot with a 35mm DSLR or a mirror-less system is unimportant. What is important however is that you are familiar with your camera’s layout and menu structure and understand the differences between the shooting modes.

Camera bag – bring a camera bag that allows you to comfortably carry your equipment over rugged terrain. Backpacksdistribute the weight between your shoulders and hips making walking much easier than a bag with a shoulder strap and are normally protected against wind and rain.

Tripod – the ideal tripod needs to be light enough to carry but heavy enough to perform in winds. A tripod is essential for landscape photographyallowing camera settings to be used that would otherwise be impossible. A wide range of models are available from Manfrotto and Gitzo and for more advanced photographers, carbon fibre tripods offer a lighter weight solution but essentially do the same job as those made from aluminium.

Remote release– an indispensible accessory, which eradicatesvibrations when the camera is mounted on a tripod.

Lenses – again, lenses are dependant on personal choice, budget and also the subjects pursued by each photographer. For travel photography an excellent solution is to have two zoom lenses such as a 24-70mm and a 70-200mm. With two lenses, a range of 24-200mm can be covered, which will account for 95% of your images. If you are interested in more intimate landscapes, a 100mm Macro lens opens up a wider range of possibilities.

Backup and storage – ensure that you have adequate memory cards and a means of backing up your work, either on a laptop, iPad or supplementary storage drive. Bringing your own laptop will allow you to see what you have shot each day and will facilitate critique sessions.

Spare batteries – batteries can be re-charged daily if necessary, however it makes sense to bring a spare battery to maximise your opportunities of taking photographs.

Lens cloth – a lens cloth is useful for removing rain or sea spray if it finds its way onto a lens.

HOW TO BOOK

We accept bookings online, by phone and post. Booking online is straight forward and enables us to confirm your reservation immediately. Before booking, it is important that you read the relevant Trip Dossier and our Booking Terms and Conditions. If you have any doubts regarding your suitability for a trip, please contact us.

To book online, simply click the relevant link from the trip page on our website. You will then be asked to complete the online booking form and proceed to payment. All payments made are directly through Worldpay in a totally secure environment.

For online bookings we accept payment by Maestro, Visa Electron, Visa Debit and Solo debit cards or Visa/Mastercard/American Express credit cards. Please note that there is no charge for payment by debit card but a 2% surcharge for payment by credit card. A deposit of 25% is required at the time of booking unless you are booking less than 56 days before departure. In this case, full payment of the trip price is required.

Should you prefer, you can call us with your reservation and card payment. This will enable us to confirm your place although, in all cases, we require a completed booking form (either online or by post) with details of all persons travelling. If booking by post, we accept all of the above payment methods plus cheque or bank transfer. If booking online we will confirm your booking immediately, including a copy of the Trip Dossier and an invoice for payment of the balance. If booking by any other method, we will confirm your booking within seven days of receipt.

INSURANCE

It is a condition of booking that you are insured against medical and personal accident risks. This must include cover for the activities to be undertaken during the trip. We also strongly recommend you take out cover for cancellation and curtailment and baggage cover. We work with and recommend Campbell Irvine Insurance whose policies are specially designed for adventure holidays and are underwritten by AXA Insurance.

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